


That feels like home

by megyal



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-21
Updated: 2008-05-21
Packaged: 2017-10-28 10:48:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/307071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megyal/pseuds/megyal





	That feels like home

Patrick opened the door to the annoying buzz of the bell and frowned at Pete; Lou, in Pete's arms, mirrored his expression, but her eyes were merry over her frowning mouth. Pete's cellphone was tucked between his shoulder and his cheek; he was chatting a mile a minute as he pushed his way into Patrick's house, the diaper-bag on his shoulder causing him to be stuck for a moment in the doorway until he turned to the side and sidled in. The end of Hemmy's leash was wrapped around his other hand; Hemmy entered looking as if he was being led to his own execution.

"Dude, it's not that bad," Patrick told the dog, who looked up at him mournfully. "It'll be over before you know it." He reached out and plucked Lou out of Pete's arms, settling her comfortably in the crook of his arm. He bared his teeth at the baby, and she blinked up at him with her big brown eyes. "You're not showing me?" Patrick murmured and put his finger on her chin, pulling down her bottom lip just a little to show her two new teeth. "Awesome, Lou!"

Lou smiled a little at Patrick's grin, and when Patrick kissed her chubby cheek, she gave her hoarse little baby-giggle. He went into the living room and sat on the couch, placing her in his lap and pulling off her heavy designer hoodie. Pete always over-dressed the poor kid; it was a bit chilly outside, but Lou had been sweating at her hairline and she looked much more happier now that the hoodie was gone. Pete was in the kitchen, his voice sounding tired and annoyed; Patrick switched on the television and found some Sesame Street, brushing his hand through Lou's curly brown hair.

"Hey," Pete said, emerging from the kitchen, the diaper bag still slung over his shoulder. The black bat-heart was emblazoned on a light blue background, and Patrick watched him as he set it on a nearby chair and came to sit beside Patrick, eyes fixed on the televised puppets for a few moments. Patrick glanced at his face; his gaze was distant, not seeing Big Bird at all. Lou made an anxious sound, and Pete's eyes snapped to her immediately. "What's up?" he asked, a soft smile touching his mouth, transforming the harsh line it had become. Lou tried to clamber into his lap, and Patrick assisted her, supporting her padded bottom. "Hey, Lulu. Hey, baby bear."

Lou said, "Ta!" and Pete grinned at her as he held her up to stand. "Ta-ta," she confirmed, and clapped her small hands.

"I keep hoping she's saying _Da_ ," Pete said wryly, allowing Lou to bounce. "But I think she's just picking up slang for breasts."

"I wonder who could have taught her that," Patrick said in mock confusion and Pete gave him a flash of a grin, the old impish Pete appearing for just a moment, before the present, older Pete returned: an exhausted, worried man who was trying to balance business and home. "Hey, how's Ash?"

A line appeared between Pete's eyebrows. Lou picked up on his change in mood and leaned against his chest, looking up into his hardened face. "Ta?"

"She's fine," Pete said slowly. "Better, you know?"

Patrick, who watched E! more than necessary, nodded at the lie. Pete wasn't looking at him, but concentrated on trying to tickle a smile out of his daughter. Lou wriggled and chuckled; Pete hugged her close before handing her back to Patrick.

"Aw, it's ok," he said as Lou fussed, trying to get back to him. "I'll be back soon, Lulu. See, it's Uncle Patrick! You like staying with Uncle Patrick, right?"

Lou's little mouth was pulled into a pout; Pete sighed and kissed her on the cheek. "So, I'm gonna take Hems to the vet, sort that sucker out," he threw a glance at the forlorn dog lying underneath the coffee-table, "then I have to leave him there, just for the night. I have three meetings, so I'll probably be--"

"We'll be fine," Patrick cut in firmly. "Relax, Pete."

"Yeah, relax." Pete breathed out and looked just as jittery as ever. "Yeah, so. Thanks again." He turned his head and looked directly into Patrick's face, his eyes intent and slightly desperate. His eyes flicked quickly to Patrick's mouth as Patrick told him, "Anytime, Pete," and Patrick felt that old, sensual feeling coil in his groin. He turned his face away, fixing his eyes on Lou's messy hair.

Pete got up quickly, bending to reach under the coffee-table for Hemmy's leash; Patrick steadfastly kept his gaze straight ahead, and nowhere near Pete's ass in his jeans, not at all. Hemmy got to his feet and shuffled out after him, looking back at Patrick one last time before the front door closed almost silently.

"Just you and me now, kid," he told Lou, and the baby wrinkled her nose.

* * *

Ashlee called him on his cellphone when he was in the supermarket.

"Patrick?" Her voice sounded as if there was calm layered over panic. "You have Louise?"

"Yeah, we're shopping," he said and stopped Lou from trying to pull a large bag of potato chips from off the shelf. "We're in the supermarket."

"Pete didn't tell me," she said, and her voice wavered. "He just... left and took Louise out. He didn't tell me at all."

"Maybe he didn't want to disturb you?" Patrick put the bag back on the shelf. Lou grabbed two more and tossed them to the ground, laughing loudly. "I mean, I dunno."

"Pete thinks I can't take care of her," Ashlee said darkly and Patrick blinked, barely noticing Lou pull down a few more bags. "I haven't seen them in _three days_ , Patrick."

Patrick inhaled slowly, and then exhaled. Pete had brought over Lou on Monday and Tuesday, and she hadn't been any trouble at all, except when Pete was leaving on Monday and she had cried piteously. Tuesday and today had been much easier: when she wanted to nap, she fussed for about five minutes and then went right to sleep. Patrick would put her on the tiny cot in his studio, build a little fort of pillows around her (Lou rolled like a _wheel_ ) and then do some compositions. When she woke up, they'd go for a walk, and then back to his place for a snack. It had gotten to the point where some of his neighbors had stopped him and cooed over her, asking how old she was, where was her mommy, if she was giving Daddy any trouble. Patrick had given them a tight smile, and said, "I'm not her dad, just her godfather."

The neighbors had said, "Oh, ok. That's nice."

Ashlee was still talking. "I mean, I know it was hard when she was born, I just felt I couldn't manage, you know? Things got out of hand and now I'm better. I keep telling Pete, 'It's okay, Pete, I know what to do, I know the baby can't drink that, I know where her bottles are, I know where to get the right diapers, I know, I _know_ ,' but it's like he's not listening. He's not listening." Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat, sniffling.

Patrick said, "I don't know, Ash, but--" and she was off again.

"Why did he bring her to _you_? If he was so worried, why didn't he bring her to my sister, or my parents? Why you, Patrick?"

Patrick tightened his lips. "I don't know. I guess that's something you have to ask Pete."

"You bet I will." She sounded more like herself now, just tired, as if she had been crying for a long time. "I'm just... it's better. She's my baby, Patrick. I love her, I want to take care of her now. I _can_. When you see Pete, you tell him that."

She hung up quickly and Patrick looked at the lit display of his phone. Lou grabbed another bag, and tossed it, managing to coax a small smile out of him.

* * *

Lou was in Patrick's lap when Pete came into his studio; she was peering closely at his fingers as he typed and clicked, reaching out her own hands to the keyboard. Patrick moved her hand away gently, and kept on working.

"Hey," Pete said, picking her up and holding her high. Lou laughed, and drooled. "How's my baby bear? Hmm?"

"Joe and Andy called," Patrick said absently. "Joe's said he wants to send some stuffed pizza for Lou, since he's sure we don't get the right kind in LA. I told him the kid can't even eat pizza yet."

"Shows what Uncle Patrick knows," Pete muttered to Lou in a confiding manner; her chubby cheeks puffed up in a grin. "Pity he doesn't know you were gnawing the hell out of a slice last night."

"Ashlee called," Patrick said casually and watched Pete freeze out of the corner of his eye. "Said she want to see Lou."

"Oh," was all Pete offered and Patrick turned on him.

"Why are you keeping her away? She said she hadn't seen her in three days, where the hell have you been staying?"

"A hotel. I called her, Patrick, every night, but she never picks up the phone. So I leave messages. She knows Lou is ok." Pete's face was mulish and Lou slapped his cheek in a fit of baby joy. Patrick felt a grim sense of satisfaction at that.

"Lou is her kid too, Pete. No matter what happened before, she--"

"You weren't there, Patrick," Pete said coldly and Patrick sucked in a breath, he was that taken aback. Pete had _never_ spoken to him with that tone of voice before. He'd heard him use it on other people, but it was kind of a bummer when it was sent his way. "You don't know. You didn't see her, she didn't want to hold Lou or feed her. She'd stay in bed and _cry_ , Lou'd cry and I'd be like, what the fuck do I do? I had fucking visions, Patrick, of coming home and finding out she'd done something to the baby." His mouth twisted and he bounced Lou on his hip a little. "If it's any better now, I don't see it."

"But you can't just take the baby away," Patrick said quietly. "How do you know you're not making it worse?"

Pete looked down on his daughter's head, and bounced her some more.

"I don't. But I've got Lou, and that's what matters."

"You can't do it like that," Patrick said urgently. "You just can't, Pete, you fucking know that. Get her mom to come stay, hire a full-time nanny instead of that part-time one--"

"Ash said she didn't want that," Pete said defensively.

"Yeah, ok sure, whatever, but you can't do it like this. It's not going to work."

They were silent for a long time, Pete holding the baby close. He pressed his lips to her forehead and murmured something in her ear.

"Fuck you," he finally said with a tired sigh. "I fucking hate it when you're right." He gave Lou another kiss and then stepped towards Patrick, holding the baby close to him. "Give Uncle Patrick a kiss, Lulu-bear."

Patrick gave _her_ a kiss on her cheek, because that was the way Lou rolled. Lou loved kisses and so she wriggled and chuckled, tilting her cheek for one more. He smiled as she was pulled away and then blinked as Pete bent down and placed a gentle kiss right on his mouth. He parted his lips almost automatically, because it was just like riding a bicycle, right? Once you learned, you never forgot, and Patrick always remembered how Pete liked to kiss: slow moves and soft breaths, little moans that sent sharp sensations along Patrick's skin and right to his cock. Pete pulled away; they both were breathing quickly. Lou was sucking her thumb and staring at them.

"Don't do that again." Patrick's voice sounded strained to his own ears, as if he had been singing for far too long.

"I won't," Pete said. He cleared his throat. "I'm gonna go home."

"You do that," Patrick said, turning back to his laptop. He only turned around again to give a quick smile to Lou as she peered at him over Pete's shoulder and then listened as Pete talked to her all the way to the front door.

He heard Lou laughing, right before the door slammed shut and silence settled in his house.

 _fin_


End file.
